NOVEL NEXT Chapter 59
I was so annoyed that I wanted to bury the three in front of me on the spot, but there were just too many people around.
Forget the bleeding; the side effects were sapping my strength even more.
I gestured to Song Ha Yeon to back off with Gwak Min Ji.
“Looks like there’s one on the list.”
It had to be Gordon. I hid behind him, tapped his shoulder, and whispered something.
Gordon asked the opponent exactly what I murmured.
“If we get rid of you, who’s next?”
“There’s no next. You’ll end here.”
“There are more. Master.”
Upon hearing that, I whispered something again.
Then Gordon spoke up again.
“He says not to come separately but to bring everyone at once.”
“……”
“And if you take that woman hostage again, he said he wouldn’t come next time, even if he had to blow you up.”
“…What a mouthy open faucet you are.”
Swoosh.
It seemed the opponent thought there was no need for further conversation, as they began to channel magic and activate a prepared spell.
“Now that you’re here, there’s no way for you to escape.”
Step.
Step.
Step.
Suddenly, I sensed many presences emerging from the abandoned factory.
What came into view were numerous people, each armed, wearing blank expressions.
They exuded a familiar aura, much like that of the truck drivers I’d seen before. That meant it was that brainwasher over there.
I was taken aback and completely concealed myself behind Gordon, thinking,
‘…This isn’t good.’
Those were all just people being controlled. In other words, they were all victims of side effects. I felt my mind clouding almost instantly.
“What’s wrong? Did you suddenly lose your confidence?”
The opponent sneered, trying to engage me, but right now, I couldn’t afford to concern myself with such trivialities.
‘H-how many are there?’
Just looking made me dizzy. Fighting amidst this debuff totem was completely out of the question.
I whispered to Gordon.
“C-can you handle all three?”
“I sense considerable power. Alone, it’s going to be… tough.”
Thinking of Jackson, I figured they all probably had similar strength.
“Most of them are Awakened Ones. I recommend you abandon thoughts of getting away easily.”
“Ugh. Can I start now? I can’t hold back any longer.”
Step.
Step.
Bang!
I didn’t have time to think. The controlled Awakened One unit charged at us, while the man in the hood vanished like a mirage.
“Get those guys somewhere out of sight!”
Facing that crowd without my ring, I knew I wouldn’t keep my sanity intact.
I ordered Gordon and bolted inside the abandoned factory.
“…What a bunch of pathetic things.”
Boom.
Gordon summoned a staff and slammed it down. Then he cast a spell.
“Rise.”
Boom!
Boom!
What sprang forth were merely ten skeletons and a banshee.
“……”
Come to think of it, I had almost wiped out all of Gordon’s undead in the last battle. I could feel my anxiety rising.
With shaking legs, I ran and saw Gwak Min Ji laid against the wall while Song Ha Yeon summoned undead.
Boom!
Boom!
“Master, are you okay?”
“I’m… not okay. Ugh.”
I should’ve realized when I learned about control over people, but honestly, I didn’t expect this kind of overwhelming strategy.
I plopped down on the ground, trying to calm myself.
Then, deciding firmly, I instructed Song Ha Yeon.
“J-just hold them back here.”
“Pardon?”
“Undead Call.”
Whoosh.
Boom!
Crash!
I immediately summoned a Doom Warrior and burst through the wall. Then, I began to flee outside the factory.
“W-where are you going, Master?!”
I ignored Song Ha Yeon’s panicked shout behind me. No matter what, I needed to tear the enemies apart first.
Thud.
Boom.
Thud.
After a bit of distance, clinging to the shoulder of the Doom Warrior, I sensed a presence following closely behind.
Two people.
From what I could tell, they were the other two, excluding the red-headed woman.
‘……’
Since those two were probably the main targets after me, it wasn’t too surprising. It was spot on.
I then stopped the Doom Warrior and turned my head.
“You won’t be able to escape.”
“Ugh. Did I really need two of you?”
“Don’t let your guard down, Wei. This is the guy who killed Jackson.”
Whoosh.
The man in the hood, presumably named Wei, channeled power and vanished again, just like before.
From his actions, he seemed to be an assassin-type Awakened One, similar to Gwak Min Ji.
Before long, Wei reappeared behind the Doom Warrior, striking down with his two dagger-like teeth.
Crash!
[Graaaah!]
Whoosh!
The Doom Warrior swung its weapon mightily, but Wei had already vanished again. His speed was truly remarkable.
Swoosh!
Landing and kicking up dirt, Wei dusted off the bone powder on his daggers.
“Not much to it, huh? Madison, if you take care of the heavy lifting, I’ll handle the woman.”
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
Finally, my nerves calmed down a bit. I whispered to the opponent without making eye contact.
“Can’t even recognize a friend, can you?”
“What do you mean?”
For a brief moment of bewilderment, the gazes of both turned to face Jackson, who had become the Doom Warrior.
Towards them, I posed my question again.
“So, how do you want it to go?”
“Ugh. What a cheeky little brat…”
Wei, letting out a short chuckle, lunged at me with a ground-shaking leap.
“I’ll chop off your limbs and send them to your family.”
Scrape!
Crash!
The nearly invisible speed attacks were absorbed by the body of the Doom Warrior.
From behind, I held the Book of Death and began to recite a spell immediately.
Swoosh!
“Extraction.”
I was unfolding pages nine and eleven, each containing the essences of Jack and Hans.
“Materialization.”
Whoosh.
Thud.
Following this, eyes glowing a vivid blue and a heavily cracked skull manifested in my hands.
Boom!
I called forth a pre-prepared body, combining the two essences and casting a spell.
“Activation.”
Crackle.
Snap.
From my outstretched hands, black mist began to flow, the body shape shifting and transforming into a familiar figure.
Seeing this spectacle, I quietly recited the final spell.
“Undead Call.”
Though I would suffer an overload afterward, I didn’t care.
To definitely deal with those two while apart from the brainwasher, I had no other choice.
“Jack Callista. Hans.”
Whoosh.
Thud!
As the spell completed, the summoned Jack and Hans slowly started to move and gazed at the enemies.
“……”
With their unusual aura, Madison and Wei stiffened and began channeling magic.
The first to step forward was Jack.
“Should I kill both of them?”
In response, I raised a finger towards Wei and answered.
“…That one, take off all his limbs and kill him.”
“Consider it done.”
Boom!
Jack left only that remark and seamlessly melted into the shadows like a diver.
“Where are you going?!”
Swoosh.
Wei followed behind using his stealth skill, but at that moment, shadows surged from under Wei’s feet, pulling him in.
“Ugh?”
Boom!
“Wei!”
Hans stood before Madison, who was sprinting with a stiffened expression.
“…Get out of the way.”
“Why should I?”
Madison, infuriated by Hans’s nonchalant demeanor, activated a skill and charged.
“Strength of the Titan!”
Boom!
Boom!
With a mere punch, an awe-inspiring sound echoed, one far beyond the previous attacks.
The impact left a small crater, displaying tremendous power.
Thud!
Hans was almost half-buried into the ground with his head nearly blown off, but he soon got up, shaking it off nonchalantly.
Crackle.
Crackle.
His recovery speed had notably improved compared to last time, partially due to my leveling up revitalizing my original strength a bit.
‘…That should mean the other side won’t have any issues either.’
Madison narrowed her eyes at that unbelievable sight and, feeling unsettled, used her skill to attack Hans again.
“Concussive Blow!”
Whoosh.
Boom!
It was only a punch, but the roar sounded incomparable to before.
The shock was strong enough to create a small pit, a display of sheer power.
Thwack!
Hans was nearly face-down on the dirt, half his head torn apart, and Madison approached me, warning.
“If you don’t pull Wei out right now, I’ll smash your head open.”
However, I merely pointed stubbornly at the back.
With widened eyes, as Madison turned to look behind her, she saw Hans rising from the pit, already recovering his blown-off head.
Hans nodded, casually speaking.
“You’re stronger than I thought…”
Then he turned to Madison, who was speechless.
“Why not try again?”
“This is… insane!”
Feeling the oddity, Madison instinctively began to back away. Simultaneously, a small object suddenly sprang from the nearby ground.
Boom!
Thud.
What fell with blood splattering was an arm belonging to Wei, who had been dragged into the shadows.